Sichuan River

Sichuan River gives South Austinites the rare opportunity to have bragging rights over North Austin when it comes to Chinese food. Beef tendon stew, pig elbow in chili sauce, sour trotters … you come to this place for the real deal, not Americanized takes on Chinese food (though they can do that, too, as evidenced by the sweet General Tso’s chicken). Twice-cooked pork and spicy jumping fish are the go-to dishes for me at Cindy Zhao’s restaurant, as is any Szechuan dish that numbs your lips with those garnet-colored peppers.